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Sworn Translation: Learn how it can help your business

Understand how this type of translation works and how it can be used in business

Do you know what sworn translation is? This is one of the leading and most requested translation services and it applies both to individuals and businesses. Also, it can be used for different purposes.

Despite being so important, some people still don’t quite understand the purpose of this type of translation, a service that has serious bureaucratic and commercial implications.

Learn more about this type of translation and how your company can benefit from it.

What is sworn translation?

Also known as public translation, this type of translation is used when the legal value of a document needs to be preserved in foreign territory, where the official language is different from that in which the original document was issued.

Each type of translation service has its own purpose: technical translation is intended to translate contents from a certain area of knowledge and simple translation generally includes the translation of books, TV series, movies and other contents that are not covered by the other types of translation.

By understanding what sworn translation is, you realize it is intended to offer compliance with legal, bureaucratic and corporate requirements, both for individuals or businesses because sworn translators are authorized to issued certified translations.

When a document is issued in another country and is written in another language, it is only legally valid in that specific country, under the rules of the competent agencies governing it. However, the document is no longer valid when geographical boundaries are crossed.

The authorities don’t do this to make your life worse. In fact, the contents of a document must be officially recognized abroad, and this is understandable.

This is the purpose of a sworn translation: to translate documents into the target language of the country where it will be submitted. Therefore, documents will have the same legal value as in their country of origin.

Some of the most commonly sworn translated documents are birth certificates, marriage, divorce and death certificates, powers of attorney, commercial contracts, academic transcripts, resumes, diplomas and certificates, technical reports, among others.

Who can do sworn translation?

This is a type of service that can only be performed by a Public Translator and Commercial Interpreter (TPIC), a professional qualified to perform such activity according to the applicable legislation.

In order for a translator to start offering this type of service, he/she must have passed a public examination offered by the Commercial Board of his/her State and be duly registered.

This is necessary so that the translator is authorized to issue certified translations, i.e. sworn translators are entitled to ensure legal validity to the documents they translate, without having to confirm such entitlement every time they perform a new translation.

Once you understand what sworn translation is and who is able to do it, you understand it is an important and fundamental service for society, in the personal, commercial and legal spheres.

How can sworn translation help your business?

Sworn translation services translate documents that are important for your business and preserve document legal value in different countries.

Let’s suppose your company has entered into a business agreement with a foreign company and that a contract has been drafted to validate the transaction. This contract must be valid in both countries, so that it can be submitted to public and private agencies whenever necessary.

This also applies to powers of attorney, employee technical certifications, legal proceedings and any other document that needs to be legally valid abroad.

Those who know the aspects involved in sworn translation know a sworn translation service should be engaged as soon as you learn about the need to have your documents translated. This will help you avoid future problems and you will be able to rely on legal basis if necessary.

It is worth mentioning that the contents of a contract usually have technical terminology pertaining to the legal and commercial areas. Therefore, sworn translators have to be familiarized with the fields they will be working with in order to deliver a top-quality translation service.

Consequently, you should rely on a sworn translator who is also a technical translator working with the areas in question. This professional will be able to provide an excellent service, maintaining original document integrity.

As much as there are differences between technical and sworn translations, they can complement one another in cases like that, ensuring customers get the best possible result when having their documents translated.

How to hire a sworn translation agency?

Despite understanding what sworn translation is and how it works, you can still have some questions about it, especially as to how your business can be assisted by a sworn translator when needed.

You don’t have to hire a translator to work exclusively for you. This would require a high investment and this wouldn’t be profitable if you don’t have documents to be translated on an ongoing basis.

The best solution is to hire a specialized company for your sworn translation services. This ensures excellent services provided by highly qualified professionals, with great cost-effectiveness.

Service fees will vary depending on the number of documents to be translated and also on the size of each document. Size is measured by a standard sworn translation page.

Other variables may also impact service fees, such as urgency and language pair, for example. But certainly, choosing a translation agency is a much more cost-effective alternative compared to hiring a sworn translator to work full time for your company.

Have you learned everything about sworn translation? Then, count on Fidelity

Sworn translation is fundamental for all types of businesses. No matter the size or segment of your business, hiring good sworn translation services is key for business globalization, an increasingly important characteristic nowadays.

With over 49 years in the market, and with a team of highly-qualified professionals that work to effectively meet the needs of customers, Fidelity is a translation agency that masters the best of sworn translation.